Damage to concrete sealant at Darrell's Music Hall in Nashua led to more than $27,000 in water damage. The shop settled with the city in December for $15,000. (SIMON RIOS/Union Leader Correspondent)

Darrell's in Nashua settles for half the cost of sidewalk damage

By SIMON RIOSUnion Leader Correspondent

NASHUA - When the city cut Darrell's Music Hall a $15,000 check, the shop was settling for nearly half the cost of damages incurred during Main Street renovation efforts.

The incident was caused by the pairing of a September storm and construction, according to city records, part of a revamping of the Main Street bridge that finished in the fall. During construction at the corner of Water Street and Main, damage to concrete sealant allowed water to seep into the shop's basement showroom during the storm.

Darrell's originally sought $27,365 for the destruction of a baby grand piano and several electronic keyboards, in addition to miscellaneous equipment. Damage to walls and floors also resulted from the leak.

At a Finance Committee meeting earlier this month, Alderman David Deane raised the issue to committee chair Mayor Donnalee Lozeau.

"I believe that that claim should've been approved by this committee - it exceeded $10,000 and it should've been approved by this committee," Deane said at the meeting.

"That was the amount that was settled and agreed to," Lozeau said, adding that the claim was handled by the Risk Management department.

Deane later recanted, determining that $15,000 was the maximum amount that could be settled for without requiring aldermanic approval. In December the parties settled on $15,000, which was approved by the Finance Committee along with some $10 million in spending, Deane said.

Two other pianos, said to be worth $100,000 apiece, were also in the basement at the time of the storm, including a full-sized concert piano right next to the Sammick baby grand that was ruined.